johnson



(No Model.) 7

E. M. JOHNSON.

PROJEGTILE. No. 581,211. -PatentedAp-r.20;1897.

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NITE'D STATES ELIAS M. JOHNSON, or New YORK, N. Y.

PR'OJECTIL'E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,211,.dat6d, 20,1897. Application filed December 31, 1896. Serial No. 617,643. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: c a Beitknown that I, ELIAS M. J oHNsoN,acitizenof the United States, and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Projectiles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear. and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to m ake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of armorpiercing projectiles having a hardened conoidal point and a soft-metal cap attached to and surrounding said point; and its object is to provide the projectile and cap with. a lubricating compound or substance wherebythe efficiency of the projectile is increased.

The invention consists, essentially, in a projectile having a hard conoidal point, a softmet'al cap fitting thereon and securedthereto, and a layer of lubricating material interposed between the point of the projectile and the cap and surrounding said point, as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a projectile with the soft-metal cap removed, showing a layer of graphite or otherlubricating material on the point thereof. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the projectile complete.

In the said drawings the reference-numeral l designates a projectile such as is commonly used with rifled ordnance, and 2 a cap of soft tough metal. The numeral 3 designates a layer of graphite interposedbetween the point of the projectile and the soft-metal cap. The inner end of the cap is provided with an interior rib or flange which engages with acorresponding groove in the projectile for holding the cap in place. The graphite is preferably applied in a pasty or plastic condition which subsequently dries and hardens.

As before stated, the projectile is principally designed for piercing armor-plates, and when the cap which strikes the plate first comes in contact therewith it will spread over the point of the projectile, which will pass therethrough. It will thus be seen that the force or concussion caused by the impact will heretofore brought about. v

Having thusfully described myinvention, Y

be taken up by the cap, protecting the co 5 noidal point and preventing it from being '55 v the cap thus strikes the plate, the forward broken so that itwill pierce the plate. When motionof the projectile will condense the 1 graphite, and in passing through the cap the friction will be reduced lay-the lubricating material. The point of the projectileis'thus entirely lubricated and a portion of the-lubricating material will-becarried into the armor-plate, which will reduce the friction of the projectile in penetrating the plate.

As seen, the cap is made in a cylindr'o-cm noidal form, so as to entirel'ysurround the point of the projectile, the line ofjuncture between the conoidal: and cylindrical portions being in rear of the point of the pro-.

jectile, thereby giving resistance to lateral deflection or longitudinal strain.

Iain aware that projectiles with a thin lu-I bricant-retaining'cap thereon have heretofore been made, and' projectiles made by me and constructed in the same way have been experimentally tried, but unsuccessfully, as in such construct-ions, owing to nonsupport,

they would'notrallow the lubricant to exercise its qualities. 1

' In the construction set forth in this appli cation," on the contrary, the c'ap'lis so .con-

'structed, as before described, as ,to. entirely,

surround the point, thus giving resistance to lateral deflection or longitudinal strains ofj. v

compression, and thus preventing either upsetting or breaking of the point, and, consequently byallowing the full qualities of the lubricant to be exerted a far greater degree of eflicien'cy is attained than ever heretofore.

It will be se'enffrom the above that myinvention does notconsist merelyv in inserting alubricant between a projectile "and acap,

but does consist in the combined vuse of alu-.

.bricant and a point-supporting cap, as above set forth, a most useful combination never what I claim isspondingly-formed recess, secured to said point, and a lubricant interposed between said point and cap, substantiallyas described.

2. A projectile having a hard conoidalpoint, A

a soft-metal cap secured thereto, having a corresponding recess and fitting over said point, and a layer of graphite interposed between sztid point and cap and surrounding the point, substantially as described.

3. In an armor-piercing projectile, the combination of the pointed projectile, athick supporting cap entirely surrounding said point,

and a, lubricant interposed between the cap and projectile, substantially as described.

4. The combinationwith anarmor-piercing V projectile having a hardened point, and a lubricant thereon, of the thick supporting-cap, entirely surrounding said point and covering said lubricant, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses. g

- ELIAS M. JOHNSON; I Witnesses:

ALBERT BABCOCK, RI HARD B. CoMs'rocK. 

